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DANIEL WEBSTER; 



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23i)gttU* fattlOflg* 




BY 



MRS. J. ERMINA LOCKE 



BOSTON AND CAMBRIDGE : 
JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY. 

MDCCCL1V. 






"ongTcss in the year 1:53, by 
'Ii/sitoE &. Company, 



■ ' r. iv.. :>: t .>-, TUSTERJ. 



BtTlitation. 



■ 



Him greatest now, most reverently I name, 
And beckon back from his proud height of Fame, 
E'en him, of Blackstone revelator free, 
With word of Wisdom, heart all Poetry, 
To pause a moment in the valley deep, 
While I my humble Lyre presumptuous sweep, 
To loftiest theme — yet one his mastery showed 
So rapturing, that 'twas the theme most loved, 
Most worthy of him ; — thus his honored ear, 
I wake in audience to my numbers here, 

Unworthy of it, though perchance they seem, — 
The tribute finds excuse e'en doubly in the theme. 



DANIEL WEBSTER. 



The gurgling streamlet by the mountain winds, 

Beneath the rose the violet shelter finds ; 

Or where o'er Alps the cloud's dim curtains play 

When morn doth robe herself to wed the day ; 

The tiny bird swift darts with timid wings, 

And to majestic Jura boldly clings. 

And who shall say that Jura is less fair, 

That the light-plumed thrush doth shadow there ; 

Or, that the rose is less the queen of flowers, 

Because the violet nestles in its bowers ; 

Or, the bold mountain towering to the sky 

Is less a miracle for streamlets by, 

Washing its regal foot, and wiping too 

With many a verdure gift the scattered dew ? 

Or does the sun shine less when sinking down 

The stars presumptuous come to set his crown ? 

So, is the mighty even less in might, 

Because his shadow fills the weak one's si^ht ? 

The Heaven-inspired with wisdom less divine, 

That feeble ones bend thick around his shrine ? 



G 



DAXIEL WEBSTER: 



? 



In short, was he we Ve named e'en less a god 
Because a humble Lyre leans on his sod ? 
Or his bold brow the less like that of Jove, 
In that the wreath it wore pale fingers wove ? 
Or, is the shout of Fame less welcome heard, 
Because an unskilled minstrel's strings have stirred 
To its loud echo, gathering through the land 
Volume and strength till the round globe it spanned 
Then come, my timid muse, and dauntless deign 
To link with theme august thy feeble strain ; 
Spread thy short wings, thou shalt not harm the light, 
Though like the moth emerging from the night, 
To fan the upward streaming flame they tiy, 
Thou shalt but scorch thyself and stricken lie, 
I >r else — still insect-like — more quickly die. 

Name thy exalted subject, take thy shell 
And breathe upon it to thine inner thought, 

Though few the listeners gathered to its spell, 
Its feeble notes with potency are fraught ; 

There is the psychological that brings 

To the rude peasant's banquet, chiefs and kings. 

( rive out the programme, to the green-room go, 
And they of noblest birth shall grace the shew : 
While thou behind the curtain mov'st the scene, 
1 1 mined fingers flash the frescoed walls between. 












A RHYMED EULOGY. 

As oft the theme as the performer's power, 
That wins indulgence for the stinted hour ; 
Lost is the humble minstrel in the strain, 
That strikes the heart and echoes back again. 

Thus then to solemn pause the prelude dies, 
The minstrel panting stands with downcast eyes, 
And trembling half-assured with heart in pain, 
She dares not yet attempt the mighty strain ; 
Now with sublimer thought her theme inspires, 
She conquers all and strikes the thrilling wires. 



Stand by, Columbia, thy kingly son 
Hath grown adult and takes the father's throne, 
Thy glory pales and falls to an eclipse 
As lingers his proud name upon our lips ; 
Thou dost no more bequeath to him a fame, 
For thine the richer heritage — his name ; 
Country and clime are naught, and men grow less 
Where "Webster's shadow trails the wilderness. 

Would we go back not many a lustrum yet, — 
(That solemn hour nor would we e'er forget,) 
When he we've named, whose orb so like the sun 
In setting when his glorious day was done ; 



8 DANIEL ^WEBSTER: 

That all around grew gorgeous to the sight 

And then closed in to all a leaden night ; 

When he — great presence — woke to fame and 

earth, 
(For these were but the synonyms of birth,) 
Then let us leave the thought, too faint and brief, 
The written page resign and turn the leaf. 



Amid the shelving crags of yonder height, 
The Eagle spread her eyrie to the light ; 
Yet in a lowly cottage at its base, 
Uncharactered by circumstance or place, 
The Eaglet cradled lay with eye like Mars, 
Whose yet unpointed shafts should sweep the stars ; 
And when full-fledged a shadow crossed the sky, 
As an embattled host its strength to try, 
Had travelled the wide realm of ether through 
And left its broad perspective on the blue, 
S i with the blazonry that sparkled there 
In vr and argent^ and forever fair. 

All hallowed art thou, Kearsage, evermore, 

That thy dim shadow spread his cradle o'er ; 

And thou, Mounl Washington, whose snow-capped head 

[lad well-nigh nodded to his mighty tread ; 



A RHYMED EULOGY. 9 

Sacred as that green summit where were bound 

The wreaths with which the infant Jove was crowned, 

Art yonder thou, while time shall give thee place, 

And ocean cast his billows at thy base. 

Where'er this shadow passed, men gathered in their 

might 
To hail its glory and to drink its light ; 
On every star-crowned summit in its pause 
The crowd fell back, and Freedom to her cause 
Gathered new armies, while it led the path, 
And from the shadowed host stood forth at length the 

Gath. 

Throngs looked and lingered for the words he spake, 

And Discord sought her venomed tongue to slake ; 

Nations stood awed while the bold Spartan read 

With withering power the parchments they had spread, 

To wrest the right or yet to cover wrong, 

Or turn the fraud to a beguiling song ; 

And proud Columbia, when her crisis came, 

Caught inspiration from his tongue of flame, 

While threatening storms were laid as by his word, 

And thunders hushed the startled ear had heard. 

'Twas thus amid her honored senate hall, 
When this famed land seemed bound as in deep thrall, 
2 



10 DANIEL WEBSTER I 

And all her stars grew dim, and dark eclipse 
Bathed the great nation's heart and paled the lips, 
That he stood forth, and dared e'en thus to stand 
To sweep the darkness from his cherished land ; 
To charm the passions that tumultuous stirred, 
And leash the strife that clamored to be heard, 
In north and south, in east and west the same, 
Their fame to guard, though his should turn to shame. 

Then was it that the splendor of his power 

Shone with such charm in that illustrious hour, 

That Falsehood manned herself to strike the blow, 

She ne'er on her invulnerable foe, 

To hoary hairs had dared e'en once to aim. 

(State bribery her bold and base acclaim !) 

To brand his furrowed brow and stain his name. 

E'en favorite Bards lent their sublimcst skill 

Till, like a curfew-knell from hill to hill, 

Went forth their strains of wail — ' to prayer to prayer. 

The glory has departed,' — poisoning air 

With the rhymed libel set in melody, 

That charmed e'en Justice, till she cast away 

Tiio ancient balance from her steady hand, 

And reeled inebriated through the land! 

Thus yonder Hall, on proudest pilgrim 9 

Long consecrate — where Freedom earliest trod. 



A RHYMED EULOCJY. 11 

Begraced and honored by his figure now 
From Artist's pencil shed, where pilgrims bow 
To his majestic image in deep awe, 
As ne'er before, and as none else could draw, — 
Refused him audience as to one of crime, 
Shaming its birthright through all coming time ! 
But virtuous men indignant saw the hate, 
And well with secret scorn the church and state 
Doubly repaid, while one undaunted strung 
Her unskilled lyre, and thus untutored sung : — 



'Thou mighty man of mighty men, our bulwark and 

our sign, 
Our beacon light, towering on high, where rolls the 

surtnnG; brine, 
Whose wisdom was our country's hope, her strength 

alone thy might, 
Who rested on thy stalwart arm the cause of truth and 

right, — 
What hath come up between thy soul and those who 

proudly bent 
To honor thee, and with their shouts the glorious ether 

rent ? 
Why trembles on their poisoned breath, the banner of 

our fame ? 
Why do they link with discord thine and Frccd<j« 

hallowed name ? 



12 DANIEL WEBSTER : 

'They call thcc "Ichabod" in scorn, and set upon thy 
track, 

To bark and howl, with heavenward head, their lean 

and hungry pack, 
And follow thee with accents foul, whose evil echoes 

thrill, 
Through mountain paths and far-off vales, and forest 

openings fill ; 
And while New England's pulse and thine beat ever- 
more as one, 
They taunt thee with vile compromise — her lost and 

recreant son ! 
Hast tbou grown feeble or corrupt on some Delilah's 

knee, 
That thus they wrest thy words and seek with withes 

to fetter thee ? — 
Joining the base Philistine horde, who vainly hope at 

length 
To blind thy sight and hamper thcc, and rob thee of 

thy strength ! 

l Thy glory gone? — so hath the sun's, when shoots its 

zenith ray 
At Bummer-tide, while round its Maze light silvery 

cloudlets play ; 
Or when through fiercest heat and glow, from Jui. 

soft solstice whirled. 



A RHYMED EULOGY. 13 

To proud repose on Norland's heights, the wonder of 
the world ! 

Thou recreant to the North? — the star that ever bides 
its place, 

The magnet star — the polar orb — hath that a South- 
ern face ? 

The landsman's mark — the helmsman's guide, o'er 
arctic summits high, 

Hath that gone down to Capricorn — and left the 
Northern sky ? 

'Tis false ! — they slander thee ! — for when thy noble 
soul doth speak, 

Thy Solon words and eloquence betray the mighty 
Greek ; 

Thy patriot heart throbs to the wave amid thy granite 
hills, 

As leaps the ocean to the shore, whose mountain, gush- 
ing fills. 

'Ho! let them shout, "The Philistines!" upon thy 

Samson strength, 
Thou 'It rend their cords and bear away their Gaza 

gates at length ; 
Yea, bring their temple to the earth — deep burying in 

its fall, 
Dagon and all their kindred gods in one eternal thrall ! 



14 DANIEL WEBSTER : 

Safe on thy country's loftiest height I see thee firmly 
stand, 

Forbearance on thy lip and brow and justice in thy 
hand ; 

Her stars and stripes sweep over thee, as erst they 
proudly swept 

O'er her old heroes, musket-girt, on Bunker's hill who 
slept ; 

Who sought not strife, but bravely left amid the loos- 
ened sward 

Their panting cattle in the yoke, at danger's threaten- 
ing word. 

' E'en they who took the Spartan oath, breathed from 
the Delphic shrine, 

His name who gave it, cursed, nor strange that thus 
they syllable thine ! 

But thou — the favorite of the Gods and of the Pythia's 
smile, 

Shalt pass unharmed, as swerving ne'er in weakness 
or in wile : 

Twin of the Eagle in his flighl — far-seeing and sub- 
lime, 

I lis shadow, as our emblem bird, shall shield thy head 
through time ! ' 



A RHYMED EULOGY. 15 

Nor died e'en yet the strain, though highest seat 
They who had feigned to love, and at his feet 
Cast braided garlands when the crowd stood near, 
Denied him now, as cravens bound by fear 
And jealous bribe ; ingrate and blind 
To years of sacrifice in heart and mind, 
To life grown old in service, strength decayed, — 
His country's honor all the wealth he made. 

Man, foolish man, not yet hast thou believed ? — 

All honor given is honor but received ; 

If greatness — goodness — thy prostrations guide, 

Thou'rt nobler bending than erect in pride ; 

Who kneels him down before the Infinite, 

And worships there in fulness of his sight, 

With glowing heart by that eternal shrine 

Of holiest attributes, Justice divine, 

And Love, and Mercy, though beyond this sphere, 

There were reward nor retribution e'er, 

Proclaims an answering voice within his soul, 

And makes Love, Mercy, Truth, his Life's control. 

Thus greatest, lowest knelt his palm to press, 
Nor felt the doubled limb obsequiousness; 
While they who loftiest stood beside his path, 
Wore Folly's cap, and deemed themselves the Galh ; 



16 DANIEL WEBSTER : 

And as it gathered o'er their purblind eyes, 

Declared his shadow darkened all the skies. 

And were they not astray, (though hateful thought 

Gave definition to the phrase they wrought;) 

For it was true, as we e'erwhile have seen, 

That so majestic was it, it could screen 

Our whole broad land from Discord's threatening jar, 

And 'ncath its ample space fold every star. 

But Justice came at length and Victory, 

Prophetic as reflective to the eye ; 

Yet how prophetic had our hearts perceived 

Hot tears of anguish had our shouts relieved ; 

Dirges for paeans had borne down the breeze, 

And prayer chased homage from the bended knees ! 

Midsummer grew the day, and bosoms glow 
With warmth that not the Sirius had bestowed, 
And morning rode up, on her fairest wings, 
And trumpets brayed as to the tread of kings , 
While multitudes gained audience all along 
The distant road hid by a gorgeous throng, 
Where in its midst he rode before the day, 
With white uncovered head, and wreath of hay, — 

the embodied Wisdom of the land. 
The Webster uf our Strength, along the strand. 



A RHYMED EULOGY. 17 

Barges and skiffs came hastening up tlic sea, 

And thickened human hearts along the quay, 

And wires of network hung ahove the sod, 

Charged with the fire of heaven thrilled as he trod ; 

And thou, proud Athens, on Columbia's breast, 

Gav'st forth thy million shouts, from east and west 

In million voices gathered ; pealing note 

From brazen tongues and cannon's thundering throat, 

Reverberated far o'er hill and plain, 

And sent their joyous echoes o'er the main. 

Proud was that day for thee, blest hallowed shade ! 
Thy mighty farewell in thy laurels made ; 
Melting e'en hearts that had <*rown cold as stone. 
And winning back false bosoms to thine own ! 
And thou, New England, prouder still for thee, 
Upon thy Granite seat high o'er the sea, 
Clasping in love ere he should sink to rest, 
Thy noblest son close to thy throbbing breast ; 
Scene that the sun might well stand still to view, 
So like to Heaven's the welcome lar^e and tl 
Triumphal was the march, gay streamers hung 
On every side, and banners wide weic flung 
To the saluting breeze that soft lays bore, 
On fleet glad wings to Britain's distant shore ; 
Notes of laudation to the Pride of men ; 
Welcomed by raptured zephyrs back again : 
3 



18 DANIEL WEBSTER : 

Young children brought rich chaplets dewy wel 
Hearing this welcome with their odors set : — 

• Bring leafy bays to bind a mighty brow, 

The vanquished hero doth the conqueror come ; 

Glad voices float the joyous breezes now 
And welcome the returning chieftain home. 



o 



• Defeat is not for him, along whose path 

Bend down in reverent awe the hearts of men ; 

Columbia in her meed of glories hath 

No gift for him ! — and loud we shout — amen. 



b' 



■ She hath no offering proud enough to yield, 
No place so high — he would not stoop to fill ; 

Her mightiest chief — triumphant in the field, 
And when retreating, more triumphant still ! 

• Hail to thy hoary locks! Lycurgus, hail ! 

Thy every separate hair grows black again, 
And every laurel greener hue doth veil, 

As thus retiring from the battle-plain. 

'The tramp of steeds — it breaks upon the wind, — 
The k> Welcome" gathers Prom the distant hills; 

And children bring the garlands matrons bind, 
While proudest homage every bosom fills ! 



A RHYMED EULOGY. 1$ 



' The valleys send their echoes on the route, 
And spiciest odors from the forests come ; 

New England, with one long convulsive shout, 
In fond embrace takes her loved champion home. 

' Our pilot star — no setting shall he know ; 

E'en when the cloud of death shall dim his eye, 
Through the wide earth each magnet point shall show 

Behind it all — his place amid the sky ! ' 

Yet with the gorgeous setting of the day, 
Passed not its glorious memory away ; 
And when the morrow rose — alas ! alas ! — 
No morrow came, that long night did not pass, 
With lingering echoes of the proudest day, 
That ever o'er New England had its sway ; 
No morrow came for him — who had achieved 
All greatness for her, and with many-leaved 
Triumphal crown had set her forehead height, — 
For him ? — look upward— it was hers the night ! 
And night, which, when upon the third watch out 
Gathered the dawn, the angels took the shout, 
And left us with the wail and ritual spread, 
And prayer and anthem evermore to read! 

The soft rays of October's sun knelt down 
To kiss, as on her coronation day, 



-0 DANIEL WEBSTER : 

The earth, and loop his tiara round her tresses brown, 

And on her breast the regal jewels lay ; 
i ntil her purple robes trailed on the sward, 
And on her fingers Hashed the signet of her Lord! 

The golden sheaves stood clustering on the plain, 
And through the silent wood pattered like rain 
! pon the crisped leaves, the dropping mast, 
Then nestled down secure from winter's blast, 
In that voluptuous bed, the embryo hour 
.Slumbering to wait, then bourgeon into power. 

But Deatli, more solemn reaper, envious came 
To bind his harvest, and his giant frame 
' rrew more august, as in the vantage strife 
Of mightiest with the mighty, armored rife, 
Vet reeled In; 'ncath his load, and dropped it down 
As i were one mighty shock, his garner's crown ! 
And then- tin- hurtheii lay, our grief to mock, 
While ocean wailed and sorrowed to the rock 
That hid it from his view, and dashed his spray 
\ liowers of tears through all the solemn day ; 
There symbolliog men's hearts, surging to flow 
In drops as free from out their hidden woe ! 
E'en nature in her lovely Autumn wept, 
« >r seemed to weep, and holiest vigil kept, 



A RHYMED EULOGY. 



•21 



For blade and blossom drooped around tbe grange, 

Where lay the master in a slumber strange, 

His full majestic form all proudly dressed, 

As when Columbia leaned upon his breast ! 

And hoary forests trembled as with grief, 

And cast their tear-drops in the falling leaf 

Upon the marble brow, bared to their sight 

From that sad solemn morn till desolate night ! 

And melancholy airs their dirges played 

To hearts more desolate beneath their shade ; 

And when stout yeomen lifted on the bier 

To give its weight to the departing year, 

They found one furrow turned they could not close 

For very weakness ; and their strong hearts rose 

And flooded down rough cheeks, unwonted too, 

To mirror thus the evening in its dew. 

Dim distant cities hushed their labor thought, 
While strange solemnity amid them wrought ; 
Men with low utterance lingered on the mart, 
As some great sorrow pressed upon the heart ; 
While full and fast boomed forth the minute gun, 
And banners half-mast high drooped in the sun, 
And sobbing bells pealed out the mournful tale, 
And poet lyres were muffled to the wail, 



22 DANIEL WEBSTER: 

' Lo ! they droop upon the azure, 
Banners decked with sahle hue ; 

Pall-like sweep they, and each eyelid 
Droppcth with a briny dew. 

' Yonder by the gathering waters 
Of the ocean's surging wave, 

He, our nation's pride and glory, 
Maketh even now his grave ! 

' Words we have not in our anguish, 
Woe hath scaled the lips of men ; 

And a mighty pageant moveth, 
Silent, where the blast hath been ! 

' Where his voice of wisdom echoed, 

Breaketh forth a bitter wail ; 
And the lightning-winged courier 

Bcarcth far the mournful tali'! 

1 Morrow, after morrow bringeth — 
As the greal illustrious sleeps, 

Deeper anguish, deeper sorrow, 
And bereaved, Columbia weeps. 

' Manhood, and the head all hoary, 

Bend beneath the chariot Ham.' ; 



A RHYMED EULOGY. 



23 



Smitten, mid its parting radiance 
Call they on the prophet's name. 

' Woe, my country ! woe betide thee ! 

They shall call for aye in vain ; 
For alas ! his falling mantle 

Who shall gather up again ! 

' Fold around thy bleeding bosom 

The pale sackcloth, and be still ; 
Shroud the shrine ! no more forever 

Speaketh there the Oracle. 

< Let us pause —to-day fall tear-drops 

Such as ne'er Columbia shed ; 
Softly whisper; — they are heaping 

Dust upon her mightiest dead ! ' 

And when that night closed in, nor moon nor star 

Had lighted up men's hearts near or afar, 

Had not upon that doubly hallowed morn, 

When he from out the nation's heart was torn. 

A vision broke all glorious to the sight, 

Flashing around with ever unquenched light, 

Enshrining words sublime as prophets give, 

That wondrous meaning shadowed — ' I still live! ' 



; 



2 1 DANIEL WEBSTER : 

Yet sable badges hung round hearth and hall, 
And joy seemed smothered by that mighty pall, 
That shadows still, as a becoming veil, 
Our whole Columbia with long vigils pale, 
And casts its ebon shade o'er every zone, 
Till distant nations make the grief their own ; 
The lowliest cottage in the farthest West, 
Or doth upon New England's summit rest, 
1 T;ith there among its household gods enshrined 
The precious emblem of his godlike mind ; 
Or doth proud treasured, on its wainscot low, 
In artist lines his brow majestic show ; 
E'en childhood awed shall ever lisp his name, 
While we the priceless guerdon give to Fame. 

Thy last words, Honored Shade, that angels wrung, 

More than the wisdom that erst charmed thy tongue, 

In thy sublimcst hour, from thy great heart 

Shall to thy memory solemn grace impart ; 

And ages yet to come the trust shall give 

To during marble — ' Webster,' 'Still I Live.' 






